Ally Love on Setting Intentions, Her Wash Day Routine, and How Peloton Changed Her Life

If you're an avid Peloton user, you definitely know Ally Love. Even if you don't own the brand's renowned bike or fitness app, you've probably seen the Love Squad CEO and Alvin Ailey-trained dancer spreading her good vibes ethos—she's just shy of 900K Instagram followers, after all.

Love has taken challenges head-on since she was a child when she broke her femur during a nearly fatal accident at nine-years-old. Her doctors told her that a life of athletics was beyond the realm of possibility, but she proved them wrong several times. 

Now, Love juggles her Peloton rides and the brand's barre classes and is the founder and CEO of Love Squad, which works to empower women through truthful and open dialogue. She's also a host for the Brooklyn Nets and leads the "Basics of Bossing Up" YouTube series. So, her days are filled from sunup to sundown—be it with work, fun, rest, or all of the above.

We chatted with Love early in New York City about her two-morning modes, her go-to Caribbean meal with her husband, and how training with Alvin Ailey made her the multi-hyphenate creator she is today. Read on for more.

How She Sets Intention Each Day

When we caught up with Love, she was feeling a somber about the state of the world—due to the devastation in Puerto Rico as it grapples with Hurricane Fiona and the political chess games being played with migrants in the United States. Most mornings, she takes time to check in on the world and she believes awareness of global events is essential. But there are days when she shields herself from the news until later in the evening, as she views herself as a vessel of service to others on days when she's teaching Peloton classes and exchanging energy with riders.

"I try to stay informed, and I surround myself with people who have their ears to the streets," she tells us. "I don't live in oblivion where I focus on my world. But I try to protect my peace, so there are moments when I must shut off."

On Her Morning Routine

Growing up in church, Love's pastor and the congregation would recite a well-known refrain—Joy Comes in the Morning. So, she believes that how she starts her day is all about agency and taking back her power. "How I wake up and talk to myself is important," she says.

Love has two different mornings based on her work schedule and what she has planned for the day. On her days off, her mornings usually start with leisure time to get personal things in order. "On those mornings, I'll dive deeper into the news and what's happening in pop culture," she reveals. "I'll say my prayers and grab some tea. I take a moment to figure out what I want from the day and how I want to feel. I ask myself whether I want to laugh today, be in my feelings, just get through, or even stay as quiet as possible." Love says it's important to set that intention for herself and the people around her. If her emotions are all over the place, it can affect her colleagues, the Peloton members she works with, and her husband. 

On mornings jam-packed with work, she does all her rituals on the go. That starts the night before with laying her clothes out and then going straight into brushing her teeth and washing her face when she's awake. Once Love is dressed, it's off to her preferred mode of transportation that day—the train or an Uber. While en route, she'll pray, listen to music that puts her in a good mood, and look at her calendar to set her priorities.

No matter the morning, Love is all about lists. "I look at all the things I need to do, and I identify the one big thing that needs to be completed that day," she says. "Then, I have two smaller things that are easier, which would be nice to get done."

Her Beauty Routine

Love was draped in her fluffiest robe during our Tuesday morning conversation. She was super excited to dish on her beauty routine because it's something she's done less on social media—her followers weren't engaging with her beauty posts, so she assumed that no one cared. But after a recent Peloton member in-studio day where one member asked that she start sharing her beauty picks again, it gave her a renewed sense of joy around what she prioritizes. It was also a reminder to simply share what's important to her, no matter what.

"I tend to wash my hair once a week on a Sunday—unless I have an event, and then I'll wash it before something special," says Love. "I love to do a hair mask, and I've been using products from JVN, Flawless by Gabrielle Union, and Pattern lately. After I wash the mask out, I'll comb my hair and detangle it." Then, Love styles her curls with Ceremonia's Pequi Curl Activator ($27) and Bumble and Bumble's Curl Defining Cream ($32)—the latter she admits is one of her favorites. "I've also been using this 10-In-One Hair Growth Oil ($20) which has peppermint oil, castor oil, and avocado oil, because I want my hair to grow a bit," she adds. "I honestly like to use a little bit of everything."

Like us, Love is obsessed with skincare, and she chooses consciously-made products the most. REN Clean Skincare's Elastic Radiance Renewal Mask ($58) is her go-to, as is Comfort Zone's Sublime Skin Serum ($139) once she washes her mask off. Love tends to hydrate a lot with oil and she always has a bottle of Biossance's Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Firming Oil ($74) on hand, even when she's going to work out. "If I'm super sweaty, I'll use a Thayer's Face Mist ($11) or one from Mario Badescu ($7). I'll pat my skin dry and then apply my serum," she says. "REN also has a great eye cream ($51) that I carry everywhere with me."

Since Love is always sweating, makeup is not a big part of her routine, but she does grab Make Up For Ever's Skin Perfecting Tint ($37) to even out her skin tone when she's on the bike. She loves a good brow and can't live without Benefit's Gimme Brow ($24). 

How Her Has Changed With Peloton 

"I always bring up one of my favorite quotes from Billie Jean King, which is 'pressure is a privilege," Love says about how her life has changed while working for Peloton during the pandemic. "I expected an increase in members and visibility, but not to this level. It is beautiful to have seven million members on a platform that can see you anytime, but it was a shift for me." Love realizes that she has chosen somewhat of a public life as someone on television, as well as being the host of the Brooklyn Nets. Still, 2020 and 2021 amplified that unbelievably, given that she and her fellow instructors were broadcast right into people's homes. 

Love is grateful for the opportunities this visibility has created, but a definite pressure comes with it. "When you feel like you're at the top of your game, everything is going well, and it's harvest season, there's a pressure to stay there as an individual," she says. "Now, everyone is watching, and the optics have changed. So I had to ask myself: what do I do with this visibility?" Love has never been one to get stage fright, so she's been rising to the occasion. She is energized by the community and bringing people together, so she's found herself in a charming spot. 

On Training With Alvin Ailey

"There's a level of discipline that comes with any ballet school and formal training," Love says. "But when it comes to dance and the arts, there's the discipline of your inner voice. Training with Ailey got me back to who I was and led me on a journey to who I want to be." 

Love recounts that time in her life as a beautiful experience that ultimately led her to explore her definition of Blackness. "I'm from a big Black family, and my mama's one of ten kids," she says. "Miami is a melting pot, so I never had to question my Blackness, have it challenged, or even articulate it. Moving to New York gave me ownership of my heritage, and I began to think more about my identity." 

If you've ever seen an Alvin Ailey Dance Theater performance, you know celebrating Blackness is the foundation of the iconic artist's ethos. Love reveals that celebration starts in training, where everyone is encouraged to bring their experience to the table. "I brought who Ally was as a biracial Black woman and how I felt about myself," she says. The school also encourages curiosity and exploration, regardless of dancers' backgrounds. That ultimately stirred ambition and a work ethic in Love that led her to pursue her dreams after graduation and become the Peloton instructor she is today. The positivity and pride she spreads to her Love Squad community and the legacy she builds for her family started largely at Ailey.

On Winding Down

Love is a foodie at heart, so eating delicious dishes is always on the menu. She blocks off dinner time as a sacred daily moment and dines most nights with her husband. Caribbean food (including curry chicken) is among their favorites, given her Miami roots and his Trinidadian heritage. 

"Food is a celebration for us, and when I was growing up, meals were a time to decompress and talk about our days," Love says. "We were very ritualistic growing up—we would set the table and then sit down to eat together. No televisions nor radios would be on, no cell phones were allowed at the table, and we just talked."

Love is an early bird, so that means ending the night early. After dinner, she has a cup of non-caffeinated tea, and she and her husband play brain games like Boggle on the couch. Then, she gets ready for bed, says her prayers, and sleeps.